Street sign



May 13, 1952 R. MICHEL STREET SIGN Filed Sept. 1, 1949 INVENTOR. g h Michel BY WWW Patented May 13, 1952 .UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STREET SIGN Ralph Michel, Chicago, Ill. Application September 1, 1949, Serial No. 113,520

This invention relates to signs and moreparticularly to trafiic signs and street name signs.

There are many types of signs used today for trafiic purposes and as street namesigns that are generally used for one reason or another but almost all of which are either expensive because of their construction or ornateness, or expensive to maintain. Most street signs, unlike the sign of this invention, do not have the strength to withstand unusual pressures due to bad weather, or have edges which when exposed to rain, sleet and snow open up and form crevices which ultimately hasten the corrosion of the sign, or which when abused by vandals, do not have the inherent strength to resist bending, turning and breaking. Thus in street name signs alone there is tremendous maintenance and replacement expense necessary with most of the signs on the market today in order to maintain the signs neat, attractive and easy to read.

It is an object of this invention to provide a sign constructed of metal and designed so as to withstand pressures that may be caused by bad weather conditions or the acts of vandals with a view to materially prolonging the life of the sign while maintaining its construction simple, relatively inexpensive, and at the same time providing a neat and attractive sign that may be lettered on both faces.

It is another object of this invention to provide a neat, attractive sign that can be utilized fully on both sides, which is permanently fastened to a means for readily mounting the sign on any type pedestal, post, pole or other upright for supporting a sign regardless of the diameter or exterior shape of said supporting means.

It is the specific object and purpose of this invention to provide a sign of a single strip of metal having a flanged edge at the top and a similar flanged edge at the bottom although bent ,in the opposite direction to the top flange, which flanged metal strip is permanently secured to a 'U-shaped member which contains suitable slots in the sides of said member and holes in the middle section of said member which joins together said sides, which slots and holes are to accommodate means for fixing the sign permanently to suitable uprights for the purpose of holding such signs in advantageous positions so as to be easily seen and read.

The metal strip with the oppositely directed flanges at the top and bottom edges has a Z-like cross section that greatly strengthens the metal strip in resisting bending, turning and breaking. This increased strength makes it unnecessary 1 Claim. (Cl. 40-445) to use two or more pieces of metal back to back for strength with lettering or embossed messages or names on opposite faces of the two outside pieces of metal. It also eliminates the possibility of bad weather elements causing the two or more pieces of metal fastened together from separating from each other and separately rusting; which frequently requires destruction of the entire sign and the erection of a new sign in its place.

The U-shaped member for mounting the sign on different types of pedestals, poles and posts regardless of the curvature or shape permits the use of the usual band of strip steel being insorted through the slots of the U-shaped channel and then fastened around the pole or post. In other cases the U-channel member may be bolted to a pedestal, pole or post through the two holes occurring at the top and bottom of the middle section of the U-shaped channel.

Referring to the accompanying drawing in which like characters refer to like elements of the invention:

Figure 1 is a front elevation showing a street name sign secured to a U-shaped channel mounted in position on a section of a metal pole without any means for fastening shown.

Figure 2 is a top view looking down on the same sign attached to the pole by means of metal bands passing through slots in the U-channel and around the pole.

Figure 3 is an end view showing the Z-like structure of the sign welded to the U-shape channel.

Figure 4 shows a utilization of signs of my invention used as street name signs on a corner lamp post.

In Figure 1 a metal sign I is shown welded to a U-shaped channel 2 which is shown in mounted position on the surface of a metal pole 3 shown in broken sectional view. Slots 4 in the channel 2 have corresponding oppositely disposed slots on the other side of the channel as is indicated in Figures 2 and 3. Holes 5 are for receiving means to fasten the channel to the pole.

In Figure 2 a method of fastening my sign I to a pole 3 is shown by passing a metal strip 6 through the oppositely disposed slots 4 in channel 2 and fastening the strip around the pole 3. An alternate means would be to use bolts through holes 5 and nuts for fastening the channel and sign to pole 3.

In Figure 3 we see an end view of the sign I butt welded to channel 2 and see clearly the oppositely directed flanges and [0 along the top edge and bottom edge respectively of the through the entire pedestal, post or pole repre-' sented by 3, or through only one side of the pipe wall, or they may be welded to the surface of the pedestal, post or pole 3.

Figure 4 is merely included to show one of the valuable uses of the sign of this invention as.

street name signs banded to a lamp post by metal strips through the slots of the channel.

:This pictorial view is not represented to be-either the -most efiicient mounting or most practical use of the sign'of-thi sinvention.

Th essential features of the sign of this invention are the use of a single thickness of metal that has a flange along the entire length of its top edge and asirnilar flange although bent in theopposite directionalong the entire length of its bottom edge, which metal piece is butt welded to a section of metal that is shaped like a U- channel. and which section of U-channel has suitably located holes and oppositely disposed slots to accommodate appropriate means for fastening said assembly to a pedestal, post or pole of any diameter, shape or configuration.

The advantages of the sign of this invention are many. In the first place the flanged construction shownprovides a sign of single thickness'of metal that is much stronger than any embossedsi'gn of a single thickness of metal, and

still much stronger than a flat sign of single thickness of metal. For exampletests were made to determine what load would deform a sign of this invention made out of 12 gauge vitreous "enamel iron 26" 1ongand5 wide, and a sign of the same size and materialwithout the top and bottom flanges but having a /2" embossed border. The tests were made on a conventional type of testihg machine and in all cases the loads were applied to the signs 2 from the unsupported end. It was found that a load of-375 pounds permanently deformed theembossed .sign, whereas it took a load of 590 pounds to permanently deform the sign of this invention.

:Even using lighter material the sign of thisinvention proved stronger than the heavier 12 gauge embossed sign. It was found that it took a load of 440 pounds to permanently deform a sign of 4 this invention made out of 14 gauge vitreous enamel iron.

Another practical advantage of the sign of this invention is the fact that names, directions or messages may be placed on both sides of a single thickness of metal which is structurally strong.

It should be apparent that this invention may be constructed in a manner somewhat different than as disclosed in the drawings and it is not to be restricted to the particular embodiments disclosed but is only to be limited by the claim.

I claim the following:

A sign comprising a rigid mounting member of U-shape channel formation adapted to be secured. to a support to be disposed vertically with its free side marginal portions fitting against the support and its intermediate portion spaced outwardly from the support, and a single continuous thin elongated rectangular shaped metal message bearing plate, said plate being of general 2- shape form in cross section having an upper and a lower marginal flange each extending throughout the full length of the'plate' at substantially a right angle'thereto and said flanges projecting in opposite directionsfrom the plate, the mounting member beingofa length greater than the width 'of said message bearing plate, said plate being butt-welded at one end throughout the full extent of said end to the outer side of the intermediate portion of the mounting member substantially centrally of the sides and the ends of said intermember and nuts on theibolts.

RALPH NHCHEL.

REFERENCES CITED Thefollowing references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 31,284,909 La Rose Nov. 12, 1918 1,419,863 'gKline June 13, 1922 1,697,025 Searle Jan. 1, 1.929 1,885,103 Barnett Nov. 1, 1932 2,070,407 Knauber Feb. 9, 1937 -Murphy Aug. 28, 1945 

